A Manchester woman was recently discovered trapped inside a garbage truck’s hopper, suffering from severe injuries. The incident, which took place on Monday, has left authorities perplexed as to how the woman ended up in the dumpster that was emptied into the truck.
The Manchester Fire Department has speculated that the woman was in a dumpster that was subsequently emptied into the hopper during the truck’s regular route. The refuse inside the hopper had been compacted multiple times, but it is still uncertain whether this was the cause of her injuries.
Fire Chief Ryan J. Cashin noted that the woman had been “dumped at some point.” A sanitation worker, who was operating the truck’s video system, noticed the woman inside the hopper, standing and shouting for help.
Firefighters, with the aid of a rescue basket lowered into the hopper from a ladder truck acting as a crane, were able to safely extract the woman. She was then transported to Elliot Hospital, a trauma center, for medical attention. The woman’s exact condition has not been revealed.
Boston 25 News reported that the woman, a 60-year-old resident who has not been identified, claimed that she fell into the dumpster while disposing of trash. However, she was not conscious enough to provide more details.
An investigation is currently underway to determine how the incident happened and how long the woman had been in the dumpster before being tossed into the garbage truck.